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PThomas

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advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« on: September 17, 2009, 11:19:02 AM »
three courses near there:  Burlington CC, which Mike Hurdzan restored;  CC of Vermont by a designer I've never heard of; and Vermont National by the Nicklauses

anyone been to any of these? are there other courses nearby that i am unaware of?  thanks for any help!
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Phil McDade

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2009, 11:21:35 AM »
Paul:

Take the Ben and Jerry's tour!


PThomas

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2009, 11:26:48 AM »
Paul:

Take the Ben and Jerry's tour!



will try to AND get a round in Phil, thanks!
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Dave Falkner

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2009, 11:38:14 AM »
x2 on the Ben and Jerry's

Sugarbush GC  which I believe is a RTG Jr.

Steve_ Shaffer

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2009, 11:55:28 AM »
Sugarbush is a RTJ, Sr design. Don't play there if it's wet. I did. No fun. If it's dry and somewhat firm, then it's a different course.

www.sugarbush.com/vermont-activities-events/golf-club
"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Dave Falkner

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2009, 12:00:02 PM »
Steve

absolutely agree re sugarbush being wet   it is nowhere near as fun when damp

hick

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2009, 12:05:41 PM »
check out stowe and vermont national . Vermont national was being built when i lived in stowe back in 97 so i did not play, and i think the course at stowe just had a redo a  couple years ago. If you have time drive down to rutland and play rutland country club.

rjsimper

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2009, 12:15:55 PM »
I've played VT National and CCofVT and preferred the latter.

Both are solid tracks - VT National to me is a little less interesting - fairly typical Nicklaus - big sloping greens, the usual wetland-style areas and native grasses.  A bit windswept.  First two holes are kind of duds.

CC of VT was more scenic, more elevation change, and a little more "Vermont" - VT National could really be just about anywhere with rolling farmland.

I expect my college teammate to be chiming in with thoughts on Burlington CC shortly - he played it, I never did.

Rutland, while very cool, is nearly 2 hours away and not worth that kind of a drive.

Sugarbush is eh.


Jay Flemma

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2009, 12:25:47 PM »
Sugarbush is also REALLY tight.  Especially the secind hole where if you're off the fairway, you're in the woods.
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Brad Tufts

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2009, 12:30:36 PM »
Ditto Simper here.

VT National and CC of VT (Cooke isn't exactly a no-name, but most of his work has been in Canada) are very comparable.  They are both open and windswept with modern bunkering.  They have some good elevation change, with CC of VT having more, and both take a few holes into the trees.  If I had to pick one, I'd say CC of VT, but they are VERY close.

Burlington CC is a Ross-rooted course that has been squeezed of everything Ross but the routing.  Not bad but not noteworthy either.

Rutland and Okemo are great for different reasons, but they are both pretty far from Burlington, Rutland being closest at about 60 miles down route 7.  Okemo is further, and a modern, mountain-type course in front of their ski mountain.

I checked out Stowe Mountain club last weekend, and it was in great shape.  The design is well, interesting, built literally onto the side of a very steep mountain across from Mt. Mansfield.  It is fun though if you have the ability to access it, and the views are ridiculous, especially considering the leaves are beginning to turn.  I have not played the Stowe CC course, but I've heard it's nice and forgiving.  The card is pretty short too.

DON'T play Sugarbush when it's wet, dry, or in any other condition.  I can't think of a course that might be against the GCA sensibilities more.  Hopefully now that they have refurbished the lodges and added the condos at the bottom of Lincoln Peak, they will turn to the golf course.  It might be the #1 "in need of a complete redo" candidate in New England as it isn't up to the standards of the rest of the resort.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2009, 02:52:05 PM by Brad Tufts »
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

hick

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2009, 01:09:18 PM »
Brad, does one need to stay at the mountain lodge to play the new course at stowe .

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2009, 01:14:08 PM »
I believe so, unless you want to buy a house...
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Dan_Callahan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2009, 01:44:29 PM »
Of the courses mentioned, VT National and Okemo are my favorites.

The one I would go out of my way to check out (and it is definitely out of the way), is the new course at Jay Peak.

I was there when they were breaking ground, and it looked like it would mostly run through a valley between all the mountains.

A very neat, isolated place, although if you're looking for night life in addition to golf, you won't find it in Jay.

mike_malone

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2009, 02:42:39 PM »
 As an old member of BCC it saddens me to see what was done there. I don't blame anyone. The architects may have just given the membership what they wanted. But to change the designs of those greens is a crime. Someone needs to go to jail. I played it most recently in August.
AKA Mayday

Jay Flemma

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2009, 06:55:08 PM »
I believe so, unless you want to buy a house...

Well what one really needs to do is ski there or see a concert on the slope called "Inverness."

...and ski Mad River Glen too.

Why don't we ever have a GCA ski day?
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #15 on: September 17, 2009, 10:20:02 PM »
Ha...I love to ski, but when it comes down to it, my $ goes to golf. 

My ski handicap is only about 15, and everyone at Midd was scratch.

Back on topic!  I liked the CC of Barre, on the other side of Montpelier.  Its an old Stiles 9 with a newer 9 attached.

Also very good is St. Johnsbury, but then we are getting pretty far from Burlington.

I've also heard Newport GC is neat, in the same way as CC of Barre...but I haven't made it there yet.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Adam_F_Collins

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #16 on: September 17, 2009, 11:10:53 PM »
I'd second Brad's mention of St. Johnsbury. It's an old course - done originally by Willie Park Jr. I believe. And it's a lot of fun.  - and not too pricey.
I enjoyed Barre as well.

I first played golf with my Grandfather at Richford - which was the first of Ouimet and Stanley Thompson's border-straddling courses, positioned to get the 19th hole one the side of the border with no prohibition... I hear that Richford is now just 9 holes and a shadow of what it once was. I guess the point is that Vermont has a special place in my heart. My father still lives there.

hick

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #17 on: September 18, 2009, 09:00:17 AM »
Neshobe is a fun course down in brandon and is a steve durkee couse. yes its a good ride from buuurlington but just a thought.  I Ihave a buddy who is a member at rutland and neshobe and loves both courses. He is a Yankees fan so i dont always trust his judgement.

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #18 on: September 18, 2009, 09:51:19 AM »
Neshobe is a fun course down in brandon and is a steve durkee couse. yes its a good ride from buuurlington but just a thought.  I Ihave a buddy who is a member at rutland and neshobe and loves both courses. He is a Yankees fan so i dont always trust his judgement.

Except for the inevitable snap-hook off the first tee whilst trying to drive the green stone cold out of your car...as well as the impossible 10th hole (3 iron over a creek to a shallow green)

The new Durkee holes are generally pretty nice.  Pain in the butt to walk the course just due to the occasional mountain climbs.

Brad Tufts

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #19 on: September 18, 2009, 10:09:43 AM »
I have a soft spot for Neshobe, and I like it much more than our Midd course.

One of my dad's Midd classmates is the pro there (Rodney Bicknell), a great guy.

The old holes are sorta funky, but the new holes are neat.  It gives you the complete VT golf experience...forest holes, mountain holes, and farm holes.  All for about $40.  The 10th hole is pretty tough, but at least they keep the tees down at 195 now, unlike the old ludicrous 225.

St. Johnsbury is a great course, but I have only been there once.  Some HUGE elevation changes there make the round very fun.  On a few of the newer back nine holes, you could even convince yourself you were at Pumpkin Ridge.

There's always Kwiniaska in South Burlington as well.  Not much more than your regular muni-style course with tree-lines planted on former farmland, but the regular tees stretch to 6800 yards, and I've never left there unhappy with my experience (maybe 3 plays).
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Jay Flemma

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #20 on: September 18, 2009, 10:13:34 AM »
Brad, once the snow flies we shall have to ski.  We should get some other GCAers to do the same thing.
Mackenzie, MacRayBanks, Maxwell, Doak, Dye, Strantz. @JayGolfUSA, GNN Radio Host of Jay's Plays www.cybergolf.com/writerscorner

hick

Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #21 on: September 18, 2009, 01:17:52 PM »
Did any of you guys play tater hill when you were in vermont as i have a friend who was the tennis pro at tater hill and okemo about ten years ago . Those of  you that went to college in vermont may know my friend ( Wayne Canney), from Neshobe and Rutland as hes a acoustic legend from vermont and plays at all the ski  and college bars.

Brad Tufts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #22 on: September 18, 2009, 02:01:25 PM »
Never got down to Tater Hill...it's now under the Okemo ownership umbrella.  Don't know much about it.  I suppose a TH and Okemo double dip wouldn't be bad.

Yeah Wayne Canney doesn't ring a bell, but I'm sure I know a bunch of people that know him.  We didn't get off campus much to see local music during our years (99-03), as there isn't much of an off-campus scene at Midd.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong....

Craig Sweet

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Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #23 on: September 18, 2009, 03:51:11 PM »
Of course you can take the ferry across the lake and play Tillinghast's Bluff Point....
We are no longer a country of laws.

PThomas

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: advice re golf near Burlington VT please!
« Reply #24 on: September 18, 2009, 03:57:06 PM »
Of course you can take the ferry across the lake and play Tillinghast's Bluff Point....

can you provide details Craig?  thanks

and thanks again to all for your thoughts!
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!